Economics Research Grant Competition

Grants up to $14,000 are expected to be awarded to CIS-based scholars – individual researchers or small research teams (up to 3 persons) for up to 18 months.

Grant size depends on the number of participants and specific budget requirements of the project.

Junior researchers and researchers based in the periphery may be awarded "development" grants of up to $2,000, and training opportunities in the framework of EERC Research Development Program.

The goal of the competition is to support policy-relevant research projects.

During the grant period research outputs are peer reviewed by thematic expert panels at EERC semi-annual research workshops.

Research supervision is also provided through consultations with program staff and resource persons.

The best findings are published as working papers and policy briefs, and are freely accessible on the web.

Thematic focus: Proposals are solicited in the following five areas with relevance to current policy concerns in the CIS:

Enterprises and product markets.

Labor markets and social policy.

Macro, financial markets and open economy.

Public economics.

International trade and regional integration.

Upon completion of research, the best projects will be considered for the prestigious Zvi Griliches Award to support submission to internationally-refereed journals and presentation at leading conferences.

Eligibility:

Applicants must be CIS citizens permanently resident or spending at least 50% of the grant period in the CIS countries.

EERC admits participants of any faith, race, color, and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to individuals through EERC.

Research proposals may be submitted by small teams (up to three persons) or individual researchers. Teams may include non-CIS participants, but their work will not be funded by the EERC. In case the team includes a non-CIS participant, the project should be presented at the EERC workshops by the CIS-based project head.

Researchers may submit only one research proposal per each round of the competition, either individually or as members of a research team.

Researchers whose projects are currently funded by the EERC cannot submit another proposal until after six months since their grant is closed and the paper resulting from the project has been submitted for publication in the EERC Working Paper series (in case the final report is deemed satisfactory and publishable).

The competition is open for participation by CIS citizens studying towards a Ph.D. degree outside their home countries.